>The library started dropping chips of brick almost as
>soon as it was built. There was a fence around it to
>keep people from being hit by falling bricks since
>1975. before all of the books were moved in.

I know the library tower was open for business in 75 when I first went to UMass. It was insufferably hot inside that May because the AC was reportedly not working.

There was another rumor that the I've not confirmed that the tower had some novel suspension using cables. Seems unlikely but the rumor was there was a miscalculation of the maximum weight this suspension scheme could handle... no one calculated the weight of the books. Hence that's why there were some many floors with study rooms and so many other libraries still around campus... such as in Hasbroouck and Moore.

I seem to recall being able to walk right up to the tower back in 75/76. I don't recall the small fence around the library until maybe fall 77. At first it was chips of bricks from the expansion joints between the bigger blocks of veneer. Then there was fear the bigger sections, themselves, were not properly attached. That's when the tunnel to South College... the old building to the west, was reinforced with tires and the tower was closed for a year or so. All the books were all moved back to Goddell during that time.